ARLINGTON, VA │ September 12, 2016 –

The Institute for Global Engagement (IGE) today announced that it has named Mr. John Creswell as the new Board Chair. Creswell is the Executive Managing Director at Duff & Phelps Investment Management, a global investment company based in Chicago. Prior to Duff & Phelps he founded the International equity team at Euclid Advisors in New York City, was in charge of Product Strategy and Consultant Relations for BNP Paribas Investment Partners North America, and spent 12 years at Nuveen Investments in a number of senior positions. He is a frequent industry speaker on capital markets and geo-political issues, and has authored many industry related articles. He has held numerous Board of Advisors / Directors positions in the areas of child welfare, humanitarian assistance, and economic development, and has had a lifelong interest in how societies and their governments exist together, without compromising basic human rights such as freedom of religion and conscience. (Click here for more details on John Creswell’s biography.)

IGE also announced that Dr. Chris Seiple has stepped down from the Board of Directors as part of the intentional transition plan he initiated 30 months ago. Seiple served as IGE’s President from September 1, 2003 to September 1, 2015, and as Board Chair from September 2, 2015 to September 2, 2016. He will retain the title of President Emeritus of IGE, and will continue to serve as an ambassador and friend to IGE and its mission worldwide. (Click here for more details on Chris Seiple’s biography.)

IGE Executive Director James Chen said, “We are deeply grateful for Chris’ years of service to IGE both as the President and the Board Chair. His leadership has made possible the real impact that IGE is having worldwide. We are also very excited about John serving as the new Board Chair. In addition to his rich private sector experience, John has also experienced IGE’s overseas work first-hand. I am looking forward to our partnership together.” Commenting on the Board Chair transition, Chris Seiple remarked, “During our visit to Vietnam last year, it was my privilege to witness John’s passion, incisive mind, and humble courtesy with all whom we met: from high-ranking Vietnamese officials and the U.S. ambassador in Hanoi to local faith and government leaders in the most remote reaches of the Northwest Highlands. John is intellectually honest and spiritually sensitive, engaging the world as it is. As such, John will be an able ambassador of IGE while leading the board in its stewardship of IGE’s vision and mission.”

About IGE
The Institute for Global Engagement is a nonprofit “think-and-do tank” dedicated to building sustainable environments for religious freedom worldwide. Through local partnerships, IGE works to convene, connect, and build consensus among government officials and grassroots communities to ensure that all people — of any faith or no faith — have full freedom of conscience and can participate as equal citizens in public life. Since its founding in 2000 by Robert and Margaret Ann Seiple, IGE has been an innovative and expeditionary organization helping governments and civil societies around the world find pathways to constructive dialogue, rule of law, and equal citizenship anchored on religious freedom. IGE pursues its mission with a holistic and balanced approach, encouraging governments to protect religious freedom (top-down engagement) and equipping citizens to exercise that freedom responsibly (bottom-up engagement).